Slow 1st half start, but ’Cats roll at Halls 37-6

Host Knoxville Halls went toe-to-toe with Oak Ridge High School’s visiting football team Friday night at Dinzle “Dink” Adams Field.

Darrell Richardson/The Oak Ridger

Host Knoxville Halls went toe-to-toe with Oak Ridge High School’s visiting football team Friday night at Dinzle “Dink” Adams Field.

But then came the second half. … And that half was ALL Oak Ridge, as the Wildcats rolled to a 37-6 District 3-AAA win.

The ’Cats certainly looked sharp midway through the first quarter of the district matchup, when Oak Ridge scored on a short pass from senior quarterback Jaylin Henderson to junior wide receiver Jiminquas Johnson, who made an impressive 51-yard run to the end zone.

The extra point was good and the Wildcats were on the scoreboard 7-0 with 6:14 remaining in the first quarter.

In a bit of give-and-take, the Halls Red Devils returned the favor on a long pass and longer run that would, in quick order, set up a 5-yard touchdown throw from senior QB Spencer Herd to junior running back Sam Clowers. However, the extra point was blocked by the Wildcats and, then, in a stunning play that quietened the home crowd, Oak Ridge freshman Tee Higgins scooped up the wobbling, bobbling football on an unlikely kick return and ran it more than 70 yards into the end zone. With the extra point, the Wildcats found themselves in a hard-fought 14-6 lead with 2:06 to play in Q1.

With 4:20 left in the first half, Oak Ridge took possession of the ball on its own 18 and the ’Cats began marching to midfield where they found themselves just short of a first down and in a 4th-and-1 situation. A flag against Halls helped Oak Ridge continue to progress but a delay-of-game penalty a couple of plays later moved the Wildcats back and a quarterback sack didn’t help Oak Ridge’s cause either. From 4th-and-long, the ’Cats punted to end the first half.

In the opening plays of the second half, Oak Ridge’s standout junior running back Michael Rowe scored early; and with the extra point, the Wildcats were up 21-6 with 11:10 left in the third.

With less than five minutes left to play in the third quarter, Oak Ridge’s punt return squad downed the ball on the Red Devils’ own 1-yard line — actually for the second time in as many plays due to the Halls’ punter getting a do-over! — which led to a safety a couple of plays later and gave the ’Cats a 23-6 advantage with 2:41 left in Q3.

An early fourth-quarter TD courtesy of sophomore running back Isiah Jones and a series of plays leading to junior running back Jaleel Luster scoring with less than seven minutes on the clock provided the icing on the cake for traveling Wildcat fans.

“I’d rather learn from a win than learn from a loss,” coach Joe Gaddis stated after the Halls game. “But we just have to play better.”

Oak Ridge returns home this Friday, Sept. 20, for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff against McMinn County.